Also by this author: Brave Like Mom
Published by B&H Kids on March 1, 2022
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories
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Names can tell us a great deal about people, and the names of Jesus are no exception. The Gospels alone offer more than one hundred names for Christ, presenting a beautiful picture of Him as our Teacher, King, and Lord. Our Light, our Living Water, and so much more.
The Magnificent Names of Jesus is a unique prayer guide that explores 37 of these memorable names, all to show children the breadth and depth of Christ. Each short chapter spotlights one name and offers a modern-day explanation, Scripture, and name-focused prayer. Written in a welcoming style as a “read to me” / “read with me” book, it can be used as a devotional for children and families, with charming illustrations to further convey the message and meaning behind each name.
As kids learn to pray to Jesus their Shepherd, Jesus their Friend, and dozens more, the experience brings deep heart change both for the children and the loving adults who read with them. Allow this unique guide to shape your children's faith as they learn and love the magnificent names of Jesus.
This children’s devotional book focuses on Jesus’s many names and titles, explaining what they mean and why they are important. The readings are generally about two pages long, with full-color illustrations, and they conclude with an example prayer, the Bible passage that inspired the reading, and other Scripture references. As Sally Dodd explains in the author’s note, her husband, Jimmy, compiled chapter outlines and Scripture references for this project years ago, and she wrote the chapters during COVID-19 lockdown. During that time, she drew on her experiences with child education, picturing specific kids and how they would respond to what she was writing.
This thoughtfulness is evident throughout the book. Sally defines unfamiliar terms and concepts in child-friendly language, and she explains ideas related to Jesus, his culture, Old Testament prophecies, and the gospel in ways that children can understand. At the same time, she avoids oversimplifying things, and the book is full of wonderful vocabulary. This book can introduce young children to lots of concepts and great words that they haven’t heard before, while still remaining anchored to terms, analogies, and experiences that they can understand. The illustrations from Paran Kim will also appeal to children, with their bright colors and vivid action.
The Magnificent Names of Jesus: Prayers and Praises to Love Him More is a wonderful devotional guide to understanding Jesus. I would highly recommend this for family devotions, and it would also be a great tool for Sunday school lessons and Christian schools. This resource made me think of some of the devotional books that my family used with me and my siblings when we were young, and I will suggest this to my mother as something to recommend to families that she mentors and encourages now, in addition to the older resources that we used.
